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The Rules of the Game
The Rules of the Game

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Rules of the Game is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Rules of the Game
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.
For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.
The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.
The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.
Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Rules of the Game

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Rules of the Game is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.
/ðə dʒiˈɑːɡrəfi ɪn ðɪs ˈnɑːvəl meɪ ˈiːzəli biː ˈrekəɡnaɪzd baɪ wʌn fəˈmɪljər wɪð ðə ˈkʌntri/
Line 2
For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.
/fɔːr ðæt ˈriːzən ɪt ɪz ˈnesəseri tuː steɪt ðæt ðə ˈkærəktərz ðeˈrɪn ɑːr ɪn noʊ ˈmænər tuː biː kənˈfjuːzd wɪð ðə ˈpiːpəl ˈæktʃuːəli ɪnˈhæbətɪŋ ənd dɪˈveləpɪŋ ðæt loʊˈkæləti/
Line 3
The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.
/ðə ˈpaʊər ˈkʌmpəniː prəˈmoʊtɪd baɪ ˈbeɪkər hæz ˌæbsəˈluːtli ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː duː wɪð ˈeni ˈpaʊər ˈkʌmpəniː ˈjuːtəlaɪzɪŋ ˈeni striːmz ðə dɪˈlektəbəl plænt ˈnevər ˈeksərsaɪzd hɪz ˈtælənts ɪn siˈerə nɔːrθ/
Line 4
The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.
/ðə ˈɔːθər mʌst dɪˈklaɪn tuː ækˈnɑːlɪdʒ ˈeni aɪˌdentəfəˈkeɪʃənz ʌv ðə sɔːrt/
Line 5
Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.
/plænt ənd ˈbeɪkər ənd ɔːl ðə rest ɑːr ˌhaʊˈevər ˈoʊnli tuː ə ˈlɪmətəd ɪkˈstent fɪkˈtɪʃəs ˈkærəktərz/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

delectable adjective US /dɪˈlektəbəl/

extremely pleasing to the sense of taste

From this reading “The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.”

fictitious adjective US /fɪkˈtɪʃəs/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading “Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.”

geography noun US /dʒiˈɑːɡrəfi/

study of the earth's surface; includes people's responses to topography and climate and soil and vegetation

From this reading “_The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.”

identifications noun US /aɪˌdentəfəˈkeɪʃənz/

plural of “identification” — the act of designating or identifying something

From this reading “The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.”

inhabiting verb US /ɪnˈhæbətɪŋ/

-ing form of “inhabit” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading “For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.”

promoted verb US /prəˈmoʊtɪd/

past form of “promote” — contribute to the progress or growth of

From this reading “The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.”

Sierra noun US /siˈerə/

a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)

From this reading “The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.”

utilizing verb US /ˈjuːtəlaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “utilize” — put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

From this reading “The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.”

All words in this reading · 68

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

absolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

acknowledgeverbUS /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒ/

declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.

actuallyadverbUS /ˈæktʃuːəli/

in actual fact

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

authornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.

BakernounUS /ˈbeɪkər/

someone who bakes commercially

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

charactersnounUS /ˈkærəktərz/

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

CompanynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

confusedadjectiveUS /kənˈfjuːzd/

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

declineverbUS /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.

delectableadjectiveUS /dɪˈlektəbəl/

extremely pleasing to the sense of taste

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

developingadjectiveUS /dɪˈveləpɪŋ/

relating to societies in which capital needed to industrialize is in short supply

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

exercisedverbUS /ˈeksərsaɪzd/

past form of “exercise” — put to use

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

extentnounUS /ɪkˈstent/

the point or degree to which something extends

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/

well known or easily recognized

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

fictitiousadjectiveUS /fɪkˈtɪʃəs/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

geographynounUS /dʒiˈɑːɡrəfi/

study of the earth's surface; includes people's responses to topography and climate and soil and vegetation

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

identificationsnounUS /aɪˌdentəfəˈkeɪʃənz/

plural of “identification” — the act of designating or identifying something

From this reading The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

inhabitingverbUS /ɪnˈhæbətɪŋ/

-ing form of “inhabit” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

limitedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/

small in range or scope

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

localitynounUS /loʊˈkæləti/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.

necessaryadjectiveUS /ˈnesəseri/

absolutely essential

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

NorthnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/

an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

PlantverbUS /plænt/

put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

PowernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

promotedverbUS /prəˈmoʊtɪd/

past form of “promote” — contribute to the progress or growth of

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

recognizedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.

SierranounUS /siˈerə/

a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

streamsnounUS /striːmz/

plural of “stream” — a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

talentsnounUS /ˈtælənts/

plural of “talent” — natural abilities or qualities

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

thereinadverbUS /ðeˈrɪn/

(formal) in or into that thing or place

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.

utilizingverbUS /ˈjuːtəlaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “utilize” — put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

From this reading The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams: the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.

Chapter 1 of The Rules of the Game by Stewart Edward White holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of The Rules of the Game contain?

Chapter 1 holds 416 sentences of The Rules of the Game, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Rules of the Game by Stewart Edward White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Rules of the Game?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Rules of the Game

Common questions about reading The Rules of the Game by Stewart Edward White on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Rules of the Game?

Yes. All 13784 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13194 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Rules of the Game is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13194, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Rules of the Game take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2757 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Rules of the Game section by section

How to work through The Rules of the Game section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Rules of the Game to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Rules of the Game

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Rules of the Game, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Geography
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rules of the Game; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Novel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rules of the Game; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Easily
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rules of the Game; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Recognized
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rules of the Game; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.